My lips split open, swollen and numb. I couldn’t even feel them anymore. Blood and broken teeth slid down my chin like water. The agony turned everything inside my head to static. I could barely make out their words.
Still, I forced my busted lips to move. Somehow, I managed to speak through the pain.
“I... am Wilson’s great-grandfather. If you treat me like this... the Wilson Family will never let you walk out of here alive.”
Tommy burst into laughter, spitting in my face.
“Just because your last name is Wilson, that makes you his great-grandfather? Then I must be the ancestor of the whole Wilson surname! Let me honor my ancestors by tearing that lying rat mouth of yours apart!”
Suddenly, a firm voice cut through the chaos. “Who’s causing this racket?”
Everyone froze. We turned to see a man in the Wilson Family steward’s uniform standing in the doorway, exuding authority and presence. My heart leapt. Hope sparked in my chest.
“Steward! It’s me! I’m Danny!”
For the first time, Tommy’s followers hesitated. Their grip loosened slightly.
“Wait… is he actually someone important?”
The steward looked me up and down, then scoffed.